How Shift Work and Jet Lag Affect Your Metabolism (And What You Can Do)
How Shift Work and Jet Lag Affect Your Metabolism (And What You Can Do) For millions of shift workers and frequent business travelers, feeling out of sync is a familiar state. The fatigue, digestive discomfort, and mental fog that accompany overnight shifts or crossing time zones are more than just inconveniences; they are signs of a fundamental biological mismatch. This experience stems from circadian disruption—a misalignment between your body's internal 24-hour clock and your external environment and behavior. This discord can have notable effects on metabolic processes, including how your body manages glucose, hormones, and energy. Your circadian rhythm is an intricate timekeeping system that regulates sleep, hormone release, body temperature, and digestion. It expects light, activity, and food during the day, and darkness, rest, and fasting at night. When you work through the night or rapidly change time zones, you forcibly contradict these expectations. The result is tha...